Itinerary · London · United Kingdom
4 days in London
A day-by-day plan grouped by neighbourhood, so you spend your time seeing London, not crossing it.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
4 days covers the main sights, though 5 lets you slow down. Day 1: British Museum and Tower of London. Day 2: Westminster Abbey and Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. Day 3: Buckingham Palace and Changing the Guard and National Gallery. Base yourself in Covent Garden and Soho.
Key facts
- Days
- 4
- Sights covered
- 11
- Day trips
- 1
- Best base
- Covent Garden and Soho
- Book ahead
- British Museum and Tower of London
Day by day
Day 1: British Museum and Tower of London
British Museum, Tower of London and Tower Bridge, then Sky Garden in the evening.
Morning
British Museum
Allow 2–3 hours (free). Pick three or four galleries — Egypt, the Parthenon sculptures and Sutton Hoo are the classics — rather than trying to see everything in one visit.
Late morning
Tower of London
The Crown Jewels, including the Imperial State Crown, are displayed in the Jewel House, and Yeoman Warders ('Beefeaters') lead lively tours included with entry. The resident ravens are tied to the legend that the kingdom will fall if they leave.
Lunch
Lunch: Full English breakfast
Traditional cafés ('caffs') and pubs across the city; vegetarian versions with meat-free sausages are easy to find.
Afternoon
Tower Bridge
Allow 1–1.5 hours (mid-priced). Check the bridge-lift times on the official website; watching the roadway rise from the riverside path costs nothing.
Evening
Sky Garden
If the free slots are gone, a reservation at one of the Sky Garden's bars or restaurants also gets you in.
Day 2: Westminster Abbey and Houses of Parliament and Big Ben
Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben and Churchill War Rooms, then London Eye in the evening.
Morning
Westminster Abbey
Inside are the tombs of Elizabeth I and Mary I, Poets' Corner with memorials to Chaucer, Dickens and Shakespeare, and the graves of Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin. The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries, high in the triforium, look down into the nave.
Late morning
Houses of Parliament and Big Ben
Allow 1–2 hours with a tour (free). The classic photo is from Westminster Bridge or the riverside path across the Thames; for a closer look, walk through Victoria Tower Gardens beside the palace.
Lunch
Lunch: Fish and chips
Fish-and-chip shops ('chippies') across London and many pubs; Friday is the traditional fish day.
Afternoon
Churchill War Rooms
The attached Churchill Museum traces his life through documents, film and personal objects.
Evening
London Eye
Book a time slot online for a lower price than on the day, and in winter aim for late afternoon to watch the city lights come on.
Day 3: Buckingham Palace and Changing the Guard and National Gallery
Buckingham Palace and Changing the Guard, National Gallery and St Paul's Cathedral, then Soho in the evening.
Morning
Buckingham Palace and Changing the Guard
Allow 1–2 hours (free). Arrive at least 45 minutes early and stand on the Victoria Memorial steps, or watch the guards march along The Mall where crowds are thinner.
Late morning
National Gallery
The permanent collection is free.
Lunch
Lunch: Sunday roast
Pubs all over the city; popular ones fill up, so book a table for Sunday lunch.
Afternoon
St Paul's Cathedral
Allow 1.5–2 hours (mid-priced). Sightseeing entry is paid, but services including Choral Evensong are free; arrive early to sit in the quire.
Evening
Soho
Cocktail bars, late-night restaurants, jazz at Ronnie Scott's and the centre of LGBTQ+ nightlife around Old Compton Street.
Day 4: Day trip to Windsor Castle
About 1 hour by train each way. Getting there: Train from Waterloo, or from Paddington changing at Slough.
Morning
Travel to Windsor Castle
About 1 hour by train (Train from Waterloo, or from Paddington changing at Slough); about 35 km.
Day
Windsor Castle
Often described as the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world, Windsor has been a royal home for more than 900 years. Visitors see the State Apartments, Queen Mary's Dolls' House and St George's Chapel, where many monarchs are buried; Windsor town and Eton across the river fill the afternoon.
Evening
Back in London
Dinner: try Pie and mash.
Before you go
Reserve timed tickets for British Museum, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and Changing the Guard, London Eye, Churchill War Rooms and Sky Garden before you travel; the rest of this plan needs no advance booking.
Where to stay for this itinerary
With 4 nights, Covent Garden and Soho keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, South Bank and Bankside ($$$) suits first-timers, couples, culture and food lovers. Compare every area.
Pace and daylight
The sights in this plan add up to roughly 17–22 hours of visiting over 4 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 7.9 hours in December to 16.6 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.
More or fewer days
Questions travellers ask
+Is 4 days enough in London?
4 days covers the main sights, though 5 lets you slow down. How many days London needs.
+What should I book before visiting London?
British Museum, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and Changing the Guard, London Eye, Churchill War Rooms and Sky Garden.